SS California (1923)
.jpg) California passing the Statue of Liberty, New York, 1925
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | California |
| Namesake | California |
| Owner | Anchor Line |
| Port of registry |  Glasgow |
| Route | Glasgow – New York |
| Builder | Alexander Stephen & Sons , Glasgow |
| Yard number | 494[1] |
| Launched | 17 April 1923[1] |
| Fate | Acquired by the Royal Navy |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | HMS California |
| Operator | Royal Navy |
| In service | 1939 |
| Identification | Official number: 1147871[2] |
| Fate | Crippled by German air attack 11 July 1943; sunk the next day by the Royal Navy |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 16,792 GRT,[1] 9,930 NRT |
| Length | 553.0 ft (168.6 m) |
| Beam | 70.4 ft (21.5 m) |
| Depth | 33.8 ft (10.3 m) |
| Propulsion | 6 steam turbines; twin screw |
| Speed | 16 kn (30 km/h)[2] |
| Armament | DEMS |
SS California was a British 16,792 GRT steam turbine ocean liner built in Glasgow in 1923 for the Anchor Line. She was a sister ship of Cameronia, Tyrrhenia, Tuscania, Transylvania and Caledonia. In 1939 the Royal Navy requisitioned her. She was bombed and abandoned along with the Duchess of York west of Spain by a Luftwaffe attack in July 1943.
Building
Career
Pre-War
The California carried passengers between Glasgow and
World War II
In 1939 she was requisitioned by
Loss
On 8 July 1943 the small fast
Accurate high-altitude bombing left Duchess of York and California in flames.[4] The attack cost the lives of 46 servicemen and crew,[5] and both ships were abandoned. It was feared the flames from the troopships would attract U-boats, so in the early hours of 12 July[4] they were sunk by Royal Navy torpedoes in position 41°15′N 15°24′W / 41.250°N 15.400°W.[6]
Footnotes
- ^ a b c California.
- ^ a b "1147871". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
- ^ "Mercantile Marine.com". Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ a b "Maritime Disasters of World War II". Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- ^ "Anchor Line". The Ships List. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
- ^ "SS California (+1943)". Wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
References
- "Clyde Built database". Archived from the original on 28 September 2004. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - Osborne, Richard; Spong, Harry & Grover, Tom (2007). Armed Merchant Cruisers 1878–1945. Windsor, UK: World Warship Society. ISBN 978-0-9543310-8-5.
External links
